High streamflow advisory issued for Chilliwack and Lower Fraser Valley

Heavy rains and the potential for melting snow are prompting warnings to be cautious around local waterways this weekend.

A high streamflow advisory has been issued for the Lower Fraser Valley, including the Chilliwack River and its surrounding creeks and tributaries.

The advisory comes as a major weather event bears down on the west coast, bringing as much as much as 150 millimetres of rain to Chilliwack over the next few days.

The weather system is also expected to bring warmer weather, driving up the freezing level and generating more snowmelt and greater runoff.

“River levels are expected to rise rapidly in response to heavy rain,” says the B.C. River Forecast Centre. “High streamflow is expected on rivers throughout the region, with the highest flows expected on Monday and possibly Tuesday.”

Environment Canada, meanwhile, is predicting a messy start to the weekend, with snow mixed with rain and the chance of freezing rain overnight.

The slushy mix is expected to continue Saturday, until the heavier rain pushes in on Sunday.